A Note from Habeebah

“Grieving in this culture is not done and is seen as a waste of time because grieving is a powerful place of reverence and liberation. A grieving person is a healed person.”

Tricia Hersey, Rest is Resistence: A Manifesto

Greetings Beloved Sisters and Friends,

I pray that you and your beloveds are well and that you are creating sanctuary with and for one another. I am writing you in the spirit of No Crystal Stair Podcast with the intention of holding a space of safety for Black mothers, and our allies, in a world that becomes more violent and terrifying by the day.

I am also writing to reconnect with you and the knowing that even in the worst of circumstances, Black mothers and othermothers have come together, in the past and present, to nurture and protect the children of our villages. Our sisterhoods have formed across the generations out of concern for our young and as acts of self-preservation.

No Crystal Stair is modeled after this ancient way of being.

I am deeply grateful for the sisterhood that has been created by the podcast and with it on hiatus, it feels necessary to have this point of connection with all who have nurtured and supported this labor of love.

For two years, I hosted No Crystal Stair Podcast with the desire to hold space for Black mothers raising sons to share our stories of hope as well as heartache while emphasizing the beauty, strength and power of Black motherhood. It has been a blessing to be in conversation with so many Black women I admire.

I am deeply inspired by our stories. 

What I intended as an offering of love to my community, and my own sons, has also been a gift to me, achieving what I most needed in a time of deep despair. 

I find myself driven now by grief, and a growing weariness, as we witness the devastating violence that persists in Israel and Palestine. The purveyors of violence, militarism, and oppression are hellbent on crushing the seeds of radical love, collective care, and abolition that were taking root in our hearts in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder.

It is with the heartache of global strife, not limited to the current war in Gaza and Hamas attack that preceded it, that I share this message and prayer for the safety of our children, and all children. And I ask:

As we endure the trauma surrounding us and our young, what must happen for our pain to be acknowledged, harm repaired, and healing supported? 

The sisterhood created by No Crystal Stair has shown me that it is in community, in one another’s care, that we are truly, fully seen and that we find healing, reconciliation, and purpose—even in the absence of justice. I look forward to sharing with this community what is emerging for me out of this season of mourning, rest and reflection. 

In this time, I will also be revisiting the wisdom shared by guests of No Crystal Stair and invite you to do the same. I find myself thinking often of the conversation that I had with my wise and resilient mother. You can find that episode here.

I would love to know what is on your heart and how No Crystal Stair is serving you. Please share your thoughts as time allows.

Blessings,

Habeebah

February 6, 2024